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Speaking to ANBA, Vilmar Sim\u00f5es, CEO of the Brazilian Geological Survey (SGB<\/a>), explained that REEs have gained importance in recent years because of their role in high-performance technologies such as electric vehicles, displays, lasers, medical equipment, satellites and missiles. \u201cThus, the debate over rare earths goes far beyond mining: it also involves technological sovereignty, economic security and industrial competitiveness,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the SGB itself underscores the importance of REEs. Between 1975 and 2020, Brazil recorded approximately 250 mining claims for REEs. Between 2023 and 2024, 1,662 claims were filed, a figure that declined in subsequent years, possibly, according to the SGB, as the sector entered a new phase in which mining targets are maturing. Although 23 of Brazil\u2019s 27 states have active claims, 72% of the country\u2019s reserves are concentrated in Goi\u00e1s, Bahia and Minas Gerais. A mining claim is an ANM procedure authorizing mineral exploration and mining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Brazil, the main REE deposits are found in ion-adsorption clays, soils in which the chemical elements are concentrated on the surface of minerals and can therefore be extracted more easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBrazil has favorable conditions to advance its mineral supply chain for these elements. In addition to having one of the world’s largest rare earth reserves, the country has a consolidated regulatory framework, legal certainty, established scientific capabilities and a growing market linked to the energy transition,\u201d Sim\u00f5es said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n David Jozef Cornelius Debruyne, a professor at the Institute of Geology of the University of Campinas (Unicamp<\/a>), said Brazil\u2019s main bottleneck is not the amount of available resources, but its ability to turn them into higher-value marketable products, particularly through separation and refining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Brazil has the technology to mine and process rare earths, it could benefit from partnerships, Debruyne said, if they bring capital, market access, offtake agreements, technology and knowledge transfer. \u201cInternational partnerships are desirable, but they should help shorten Brazil\u2019s learning curve rather than permanently outsource the highest-value stages of the supply chain,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cToday, China accounts for about 91% of global refining of rare earths used in magnets and 94% of the production of sintered permanent magnets [high-power permanent magnets]. In other words, China’s dominance is even greater in processing than in mining,\u201d he said. On the other hand, the professor said Brazil already has experience in the sector, as well as an \u201cinteresting geological advantage,\u201d since the country’s tropical climate favored geological formations where mining can be less intensive than in hard-rock deposits, requiring fewer crushing and grinding processes. In short, the elements are easier to extract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Serra Verde Mining Brazil<\/a> President & COO Ricardo Grossi explained that Serra Verde is the only company outside Asia producing the four magnetic rare earths on a large scale: neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), dysprosium (Dy) and terbium (Tb). The other 13 REEs are lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), promethium (Pm), samarium (Sm), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb), lutetium (Lu), scandium (Sc) and yttrium (Y).<\/p>\n\n\n Serra Verde is located in Mina\u00e7u, Goi\u00e1s state, and aims to process up to 6,400 metric tons of total rare earth oxides by the end of 2027 under its Phase 1 plan. The company is owned by U.S.-based USA Rare Earth and employs more than 600 people in Brazil, most of them from the region where it operates. According to Grossi, in April this year, the company signed an offtake agreement, or minimum-purchase agreement, to supply 100% of its Phase 1 production to a special-purpose vehicle established by U.S. government agencies and private capital sources under an agreement that also guarantees minimum prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn terms of demand, the market is concerned about supply security due to China\u2019s dominant control over global supply, including mining, downstream processing [which takes place after extraction] and magnet manufacturing. China has adopted specific measures to restrict rare earth exports amid ongoing trade negotiations with the U.S. and its allies,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The company is already evaluating the implementation of Phase 2, which, according to Serra Verde estimates, could double raw ore production before 2030 without reducing the long-term life of its operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to the potential, benefits and geopolitical challenges posed by rare earth mining, another factor is at stake: the associated environmental risks. Depending on the type of rock deposit, these risks may include radiation, water contamination and contamination of mining areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn hard-rock deposits, for example, some minerals, such as monazite, may contain significant amounts of thorium and, in some cases, uranium. During beneficiation and processing, these naturally radioactive elements can become concentrated in certain products or waste. Therefore, they need to be properly characterized and managed,\u201d Debruyne said. When rare earths are found near the surface of the rock, the elements can be recovered through less intensive methods using saline solutions, such as fertilizers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut this does not mean there is no risk. If the process is poorly controlled, for example, ammonium compounds can contaminate soil and water,\u201d the professor said. Therefore, he said, the ideal approach is to use controlled leaching systems, a type of soil washing, high recovery and reuse of reagents and water, and waterproofing and monitoring of processing areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnother important point is the separation of the rare earths themselves. Because the elements are chemically very similar, conventional separation involves many stages of solvent extraction and the use of acidic solutions and organic reagents. Therefore, water management, reagent recovery, effluent treatment and waste disposal need to be incorporated into the industrial project from the outset,\u201d the professor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read more<\/em>: Translated by Guilherme Miranda<\/strong><\/p>\nThe importance of partnerships for Brazil<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Commercial development<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Environmental challenge<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why invest in Brazil\u2019s environmental assets?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n